After the helicopter is sold, Louisville will only have one helicopter, putting the city behind Lexington, which has two.

Assistant Chief Tim Emington says helicopters are important crime fighting tools, and one day, when times aren’t so tough, the city may purchase another one. Brian Smith, the director of maintenance for the LMPD’s airborne division says a new helicopter will cost over one million dollars.

But the city may not buy a new helicopter. Emington says they bought the backup helicopter used from a private enterprise for $652,000. With less than three weeks left in the auction, bidding on the LMPD chopper is at $621,000. That’s up more than $40,000 from one week ago. If this bidding trend continues, the city might make a profit by selling off police equipment.

This week’s Studio 619 will feature an interview with Assistant Chief Emington about the sale. He’ll explain how selling a used helicopter isn’t as much like selling a used car as one might think.